Katharine Lincoln Winderlin passed away peacefully on May 16, 2021 with her daughter Sarah by her side at the Kaplan House of Danvers. Prior to her recent illness, Katharine enjoyed living independently in Ipswich with her constant companion Michael, her greyhound, always by her side. Katharine was predeceased in 2020 by her husband of 52 years, Patrick Winderlin.
Katharine was born August 22, 1943 in Ballston Spa, New York; her parents were Christina (Sweeney) and Harold Lincoln. Katharine was raised in Ballston Spa, a community where her family had lived for generations.
Katharine is survived by three children: Sarah and her partner Roger LeBlanc of Ipswich, Massachusetts, Christine of College Park, Maryland and David and his wife Kim of Frisco, Texas; her brother Thomas Lincoln and his wife Gail, her nephew Thomas E. Lincoln, his wife Teresa and their daughter Krista of Ballston Spa, New York.
Katharine met her husband Patrick in Denver in 1967. After the birth of their son, they returned to her hometown of Ballston Spa, New York where they built a life together and raised their family. They had a loving marriage enjoying their children, their dogs, antiquing and spending much of the summer at their log cabin, built by Katharine’s father, in the Adirondacks.
Katharine received her Bachelor’s Degree from SUNY Geneseo and a Master in Library Sciences from the University of Denver. Her lifelong passion was reading and education. She spent her professional life in library services, initially in public libraries in New York City and upstate New York transitioning into the school system. Katharine spent the majority of her career as the Director of the School Library Services for Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex BOCES. She was ahead of her time introducing the use of technology within school libraries systems, automating databases at the elementary and high school levels. Her leadership left a lasting impact.
Upon retirement, Katharine devoted her time volunteering with many organizations throughout the Saratoga County. She believed in giving back to the community she loved and had known her whole life. Katharine divided the majority of her time between Community Hospice and Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Services, both in Saratoga Springs.
Katharine was blessed with lifelong friendships formed in her community through her church, career and volunteer work. Her final days were filled with loving messages from family and friends. Katharine was a beautiful soul.
In the summer of 2017 Patrick and Katharine moved to Ipswich, Massachusetts to be near their daughter Sarah. While their time in Ipswich was too brief, they loved the beauty and friendliness of the town.
A memorial funeral Mass will be celebrated Friday May 28th. at 9:00 A.M. in Our Lady of Hope Church Hall 54 Linebrook Road, Ipswich, all are respectfully invited. Due to the pandemic those in attendance must: wear a face covering, practice social distancing and are asked not to come into physical contact with the family. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Katharine’s name can be made to: the Friends of the Ipswich Elderly, P.O. Box 213, Ipswich, MA 01938 . Assisting the Winderlin family is the Morris Funeral Home of Ipswich. To send a letter of condolence to Katharine’s family please go to: MorrisFH.com .
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